Shoe and shoeing method

ABSTRACT

A shoe for a hoofed animal, e.g. a horseshoe, is described which comprises a body made from a thermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of a thermoplastic material which has a softening point of less than 100° C., such as a polycaprolactone. A method of shoeing a hoofed animal, such as a horse, is also described.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/182,548,which has a filing date of Jul. 30, 2002 and is the National Stage ofInternational application number PCT/GB01/00433, filed Feb. 1, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a shoe for a hoofed animal, suchas a horseshoe, and to a method for shoeing a hoofed animal, such as ahorse.

[0003] The hoof on the foot of a horse comprises a curved covering ofhorn which protects the front of, and partially encloses, the end of thecorresponding digit of the horse. It thus corresponds to a nail on afinger or toe of a human being. The forward end of the hoof is known asthe toe, from which the side walls of the hoof extend rearwardly to aheel on either side of the horse's foot. The hoof surrounds a body oftissue which surrounds the digit itself so as to form a capsule, theunderside of which forms the sole. Between the hoof and this body oftissue there is an intermediate layer of tissue called the white line.At the rearward end of the horse's foot there is an elastic horny pad ofgenerally triangular shape which is known as the frog.

[0004] Domesticated horses are normally shod with horseshoes. Ahorseshoe is usually attached by nailing to the underside of the hoof toprotect it from damage. Conventional horseshoes for horses with healthyfeet are made from metal, such as cast iron, steel, or an aluminiumalloy. One common design of horseshoe is generally arcuate in shape andsized so as to conform to the size of the hoof to be shod. The size andweight of the horseshoe is normally determined by the type of horsebeing shod. For example, a working horse will be fitted with heaviershoes than a racehorse. In some designs there may be an upstanding tabat the front of the shoe, or a pair of upstanding tabs positioned one toeach side of the front of the shoe, designed to assist in locating theshoe on the hoof and to provide additional protection for the toe of thehorse's foot. Other designs of metal horseshoe are known, for example,so-called egg, straight and heart-bar shoes; these are often recommendedfor use on horses with hoof or lameness problems.

[0005] The traditional way of making horseshoes is for the farrier toforge them from bars of iron which are heated on an open hearth forge,hammered to shape on an anvil, and pierced to provide holes for thehorseshoe nails. A farrier can produce shoes in advance for fitting to ahorse with healthy feet which he has shod previously and whose hoofmeasurements he already knows. Alternatively he can purchase factorymade shoes which can in suitable cases be fitted as received to a horsewith healthy feet or which may require to be modified somewhat in shape,or in the position or direction of the holes for the horseshoe nails,using a forge and anvil. Often the horse will be brought to thefarrier's smithy to be shoed but many horses are shod at their owner'spremises, in which case the farrier will normally bring a portable forgewith him in case of need.

[0006] Plastics and rubber horseshoes are also known in the art,particularly for shoeing horses suffering from hoof problems. Forexample, rubber shoes made from a shock-absorbing rubber bonded to asteel or aluminium core are available on the market, as are alsohorseshoes made from polyurethane and from plastics moulded on to analuminium core. Some of these mimic the form of the conventional metalshoes and, likewise, are attached to the hoof by nails. Another type ofcurrently available horseshoe is sold in kit form, using polyurethanebase plates that have to be cut to the shape of the horse's hoof.Plastics tags are then welded at intervals to the outer rim of the basein an upwardly and radially inward fashion. The shoes are then attachedto the hoof by cementing the plastic tags to the outer wall of the hoof.Plastics horseshoes have a number of advantages over metal shoes; forexample, they are lighter and can be affixed to a horse's hoof byglueing instead of nailing. Thus they are beneficial for use when ahorse is suffering foot problems because they obviate the use of nails.Such foot problems may include laminitis, white line disease (or fungalonychomycosis), navicular disease, sand cracks, or weak heels. Laminitisis a painful condition in which the hoof becomes partly detached fromthe rest of the hoof capsule along the white line. This can beaccompanied by splitting of the hoof. Driving a nail into a hoof in sucha condition can exacerbate the problem besides being painful for thehorse.

[0007] In order to treat an injury to or a disease of a horse's foot, itis usual to cut or abrade away the affected material. Since thepathogens which attack the hoof are generally anaerobic, this helps tospeed up a cure. However, there is then the problem of providing supportto the trimmed hoof so that the horse can still put weight on its footwithout undue discomfort and without exacerbating any misalignment ofthe horse's leg or, in particular, of the digital bone of the foot, dueto the lameness condition from which the horse is suffering. Thissupport can be provided by use of a therapeutic shoe and by using a hoofreplacement material to replace the parts that have been cut or abradedaway. If the farrier elects to fit a metal shoe then he may have toundertake considerable work to forge a horseshoe of the appropriateshape. If he decides to opt for a plastics or rubber shoe then he mayhave to cut the shoe to shape or use chemicals with undesirable sideeffects in order to provide a replacement for the hoof material and anytissue that has been cut or abraded away. If the farrier decides thatthe horse's foot needs realignment he may decide to provide thehorseshoe with a lateral, medial, anterior or posterior extension. Thisis difficult to effect with a preformed horseshoe.

[0008] Foals are sometimes born with deformities such as weak flexortendons, or club foot syndrome, or may require treatment to correct toein or toe out conformation. In such instances the farrier will often fitthe foal with corrective shoes. One type of foal corrective shoe isformed entirely from a heavy duty plastics material with an upstandingouter cuff which is glued or cemented to the hoof wall. Such shoes canbe provided with an appropriate wedge shape and/or with an appropriatelateral, medial, anterior or posterior extension to correct thecondition being treated. It has also been proposed to use therapeuticcuffs which can be glued or cemented to the outer wall of the hoof afteran appropriate metal shoe has been rivetted to it or to which a shoe canbe carefully nailed.

[0009] In some cases the farrier may choose to put a pad of leather orof an elastomeric material between the hoof and the horseshoe.

[0010] European Patent Specification No. 0 893 057 A1 discloses an openplastic horseshoe with holes for nails and having a bridge piecepositioned on one arm for adjustment of the distance between the twoarms of the horseshoe.

[0011] Use for shoeing a horse of a preformed strip of L-section adheredto a lower wall of its hoof and then adhering a plastics horseshoethereto is proposed in New Zealand Patent Specification No. 184321.

[0012] A horseshoe adhered to a hoof is described in New Zealand PatentSpecification No. 221274.

[0013] In German Patent Specification No. 19732269 there is taught ahorseshoe with an outer hoof cover used as the walking surface which issecured to the hoof by at least two elements. A contact strip bindingforms an intermediate layer between the hoof surface and the outer hoofprotection. The hoof protection can be made from a thermoplasticmaterial, such as polyester, or vinyl ester, or from an elastomer or ametal.

[0014] International Patent Publication No. WO99/15006 describes ahelical stock from which circumferential lengths can be cut to be usedas horseshoes, the stock comprising a helical coil of plastics materialwound about an axis such that the cross section of the coil in a planecontaining the axis is constant in shape for any such plane andsubstantially corresponds to the cross section of a horseshoe in thesame plane.

[0015] British Patent Specification No. 2334424 teaches a horseshoehaving a metal core with a polyurethane coating.

[0016] United States Patent Specification No. 5,199,498 proposes acustom horseshoe pad comprising a polymer composition containing atleast about 50% by weight of high molecular caprolactone polymerswherein the composition has a melting point of from about 120° F. toabout 200° F. (about 48.9° C. to about 93.3° C.). The molecular weightof the caprolactone polymers can range, for example, from about 35,000to about 60,000. The pad covers areas of the horse's foot that aresensitive and vulnerable to disease and damage. The horseshoe pad ispositioned between a horseshoe and the hoof and is intended to expandthe overall protection afforded by the standard horseshoe withoutobviating the need for the shoe.

[0017] In U.S. Pat. Specification No. 5,681,350 there is described arigid and permeable prosthesis that fills the debrided portion of thewall of a horse's hoof having white line disease or the like. Thisprosthesis includes a mass of particulate material with individualparticles coated with a resin so as to cleave to one another at allcontact areas and transfer weight, while leaving interconnected porespaces that allow air and liquid medications to reach the diseased areaduring the healing process.

[0018] International Patent Publication No. WO 94/06285 proposes alightweight plastic horseshoe which is held to the bottom of a horse'shoof by gluing it thereto and by additionally providing preformed spaceddepressions in the underside of the hoof into which extend fastenersattached to the shoe.

[0019] In International Patent Publication No. WO 94/12024 a protectivecovering for a horse's hoof is described which comprises a horseshoemade of polyurethane having convex and concave edges and a polymericfabric, for example a woven polyurethane fabric, bonded to thehorseshoe. The shoe is fitted to the horse's hoof and secured theretousing an acrylic structural adhesive both between the hoof and the shoeand between the polymeric fabric and the outside of the horse's hoof.

[0020] A horseshoe with a core of metal which is surrounded by a plasticor rubber material and has apertures for intended for nails is suggestedin International Patent Publication No. WO 94/22296.

[0021] In International Patent Publication No. WO 95/22252 there isproposed a method of shoeing a horse in which a particulate compoundcomprising a ground up polymer and an adhesive compound. Thisparticulate compound is poured into a mould into which the horse's hoof,which has previously been cleaned and had an adhesive applied to allvoids, is lowered.

[0022] International Patent Publication No. WO 96/01044 is concernedwith a horseshoe having holes for horseshoe nails and including aresilient material.

[0023] Another proposal is to be found in International PatentPublication No. WO 98/24312. This comprises a core of metal with holesfor horseshoe nails which is substantially entirely enclosed in asubstantially deformable material such as a rubber or rubber-likematerial.

[0024] A hoof protector for hooves of horses is suggested inInternational Patent Publication No. WO 99/40782 which has a horseshoeshaped base body of plastic and at least one fixed front settingelement.

[0025] International Patent Publication No. WO 99/65298 describes ashock-absorbing horseshoe which is secured to a horse's hoof with nailswhose nail heads abut against an intermediate resilient layer.

[0026] European Patent Specification No. 0 651 943 A1 teaches a boot forhorses' hooves made of flexible material.

[0027] A plastic covering for a horse's hoof with a two part laminateconstruction for attachment to the hoof of a horse using nails isdisclosed in European Patent Specification No. 0 823 209 A2. The upperlayer comprises a stable plastic material, such as a thermally formableplastic (e.g. polyurethane, polyamide or an elastomer), while the lowerlayer is less hard and is also formed from a plastic.

[0028] European Patent Specification No. 0 832 560 A1 teaches ahorseshoe which is at least partially enclosed in a resilient materialwhich has holes for conventional nails.

[0029] European Patent Specification No. 0 860 115 A1 discloses ahorseshoe with a shock-absorbing sole plate with a peripheralindentation for receipt of a steel band to which are fixed six supportsthrough which nails can be driven into the horse's hoof.

[0030] As pointed out above most, if not all, plastics horseshoescurrently on the market suffer from the disadvantage that they aretime-consuming and cumbersome to apply, particularly those that have tobe assembled from a kit of parts. This is at least in part due to thenecessity to make the horseshoe fit a damaged foot from which aconsiderable amount of hoof may have been cut away. Since the horse islame it will usually be inconvenient or impractical for it to be broughtto the smithy so that the farrier has to take his equipment to thehorse's own stable. This tends to make it more inconvenient for thefarrier to have to reshape a horseshoe away from his own smithy.

[0031] There is accordingly a need in the art for an improved form ofhorseshoe which can be used in therapy for treatment of such diseases aslaminitis and which is simple to apply to the foot of a horse beingtreated. There is a further need for a novel design of horseshoe whichcan be readily adapted to fit and provide support for a foot of a hoofedanimal from which a variable amount of hoof material, and possibly alsoother tissue, may have been cut or abraded away. There is still furthera need for a horseshoe which can be readily formed to an appropriateshape for treatment of a horse that is suffering from foot problems,particularly when such shaping has to be accomplished in the horse's ownstable or stableyard rather than at a farrier's smithy. Additionallythere is a need for a horseshoe which can be fitted to the hoof of ahorse suffering from laminitis or other condition causing lamenesswithout the use of nails and in a manner which substantially avoidstrauma for the horse. Yet again there is a need for an improved methodof shoeing a horse that obviates the need to drive nails into the hoofof the horse. There is also a need for a method of shoeing a horsesuffering from a debilitating condition, such as laminitis, which avoidstrauma for the horse. Moreover there is a need to provide a novel methodof shoeing a horse which avoids the use of a forge. Another need is fora method of shoeing a horse which utilises horseshoes which can bemoulded to a hoof and attached thereto in a simple manner without use ofa forge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0032] The present invention accordingly seeks to provide an improvedform of horseshoe which is suitable for use in treatment of laminitisand other conditions for which horse's feet may require treatment andwhich is simple to apply to the foot of a horse being treated. Itfurther seeks to provide a new form of horseshoe which can be readilyshaped or otherwise adapted to fit and provide support for a foot of ahoofed animal from which hoof material, and possibly also other tissue,has been cut or abraded away. In addition it seeks to provide ahorseshoe which can be readily formed to an appropriate shape fortreatment of a horse that is suffering from laminitis or other footproblems. It seeks moreover to provide a horseshoe which can be formedquickly and simply to an appropriate shape even under the unfavourableconditions which may exist in a horse's own stable or stableyard, ratherthan in the convenient surroundings of the farrier's own smithy. It alsoseeks to provide a plastics horseshoe that is more easily fitted to thehoof, with an improved fitting quality and the additional supportrequired for therapeutic purposes. Additionally it seeks to provide ahorseshoe which can be fitted to a horse's hoof without nailing and in amanner which minimises any trauma for the animal. An additionalobjective of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method ofshoeing a hoofed animal, such as a horse, without use of nails driventhrough the shoes into the animal's hoof. A still further objective isto provide a novel and improved method of shoeing a horse withoutcausing trauma to a horse which may be suffering from a debilitating andpainful condition, such as laminitis. Yet another objective is toprovide such a method which avoids use of a forge. There is also theobjective of providing a novel and improved method of shoeing a horsewhich utilises horseshoes which can be moulded to the hoof of a horseand attached thereto without requiring use of a temperature high enoughto require use of a forge.

[0033] According to one aspect of the present invention there isprovided a shoe for a hoofed animal comprising a body made from athermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of a thermoplasticmaterial which has a softening point of less than 100° C.

[0034] The invention further provides a method of shoeing a hoofedanimal which comprises:

[0035] (a)providing a shoe for a hoof of the animal, the shoe comprisinga body which is made from a thermoplastic composition which comprises amatrix of a thermoplastic material having a softening point of less than100° C. and which has a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, inuse, with the ground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced fromthe lower ground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, theunderside of a foot of a hoofed animal, the body having around at leasta part of its upper foot-contacting surface an upstanding peripheralflange portion, and the shoe being adapted to be fitted, in use, on anunderside of the hoof with the flange portion extending upwards from aground border of the hoof adjacent a lower portion of an outer hornywall of the hoof;

[0036] (b)forming a plurality of indentations in the lower portion ofthe outer horny wall of the hoof;

[0037] (c)heating the shoe to a temperature sufficient to soften thethermoplastic material but below its melting point;

[0038] (d)placing the heated shoe against the underside of the hoof withits flange portion adjacent the lower portion of the outer horny wall ofthe hoof; and

[0039] (e)pressing the flange portion of the heated shoe into contactwith the outer horny wall of the hoof so as to cause material of theflange portion to enter each of the plurality of indentations, wherebyfollowing cooling of the shoe the shoe is retained on the hoof.

[0040] The thermoplastic material is desirably chosen so that thethermoplastic composition is hard at ambient temperatures and at hoofsole temperatures but is softenable by immersion in hot water,preferably boiling water or near boiling water. In addition it shoulddesirably possess at least moderate abrasion resistance. Thethermoplastics material preferably has a melting point or a meltingpoint range of less than 100° C. Even more preferably it has a freezingpoint of at least about 30° C., preferably at least about 35° C., and amelting point or melting point range of less than about 95° C., morepreferably less than about 90° C., and even more preferably less thanabout 75° C. One particularly preferred material is a polycaprolactone.Polycaprolactones are commercially available under the trade marks CAPA®from Solvay Interox Limited, Baronet Road, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 6HB,United Kingdom and TONE® from Union Carbide Corporation of 39 OldRidgebury Road, Danbury, Conn. 06817-0001, United States of America. Thematerials sold under the trade mark CAPA® are sold in granule form andare described as polyesters of ε-caprolactone and butane-1,4-diol. Aparticular advantage of the use of a polycaprolactone is that it isfully biodegradable. One suitable material is a polycaprolactone havinga freezing point of about 35° C., and a melting point range of fromabout 58° C. to about 60° C. Such a material has a molecular weight offrom about 48,000 Daltons to about 52,000 Daltons and is sold under thetrade designation CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone. It is also possible toblend CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone with minor amounts, for example up toabout 25% by weight or more, e.g. up to about 40% by weight, of anotherpolycaprolactone such as CAPA® 680 polycaprolactone and/or with lesseramounts, for example up to about 10% by weight, of CAPA® 640polycaprolactone. CAPA® 680 polycaprolactone is reported to have amelting point of about 60 to 62° C. and a molecular weight of about80,000 Daltons, while CAPA® 640 polycaprolactone is reported to have amelting point of from 58 to 60° C. and a molecular weight of about37,000 Daltons. A particularly preferred thermoplastic materialcomprises a mixture of about 2 parts by weight of CAPA® 650polycaprolactone and about 1 part by weight of CAPA® 680polycaprolactone.

[0041] A preferred form of shoe according to the invention comprises abody moulded from a thermoplastic composition which comprises a matrixof a thermoplastic material having a freezing point of at least about30° C. and a melting point or melting point range of less than about 95°C., the body having a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, inuse, with the ground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced fromthe lower ground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, theunderside of a foot of a hoofed animal, such as a horse, the body havingaround at least a part of its upper foot-contacting surface anupstanding peripheral flange portion adapted in use to abut against atleast a part of the outer wall of the foot of a horse or other hoofedanimal. In such a shoe intended for use on a horse, the body maycomprise an arcuate bar portion shaped to underlie the hoof. In additionthe two ends of the bar portion may be joined one to another by acrosspiece. Moreover the shoe may include a frogpiece intended tounderlie the frog of the horse's foot and which may be provided with acut out portion that extends from the rearward end of the frogpiece partway towards the front end of the frogpiece so as to facilitate flexingof the shoe. If desired, the flange portion may include an upstandingrear flange portion adapted to abut against the heels of the hoof. Sucha shoe can be moulded as a one piece moulding. It can have a chamferedportion on its underside at its front end which underlies the toe of thehorse's hoof, in use. Otherwise the under surface of the shoe may besubstantially planar.

[0042] The flange portion may be continuous or discontinuous. It may beadapted so as to extend, in use, from one side wall around the toe ofthe horse's hoof to the other side wall. Alternatively the flangeportion may be adapted to extend, in use, from the toe of the horse'shoof back towards each of the heels thereof a distance which is lessthan the overall peripheral distance from the toe to the heel. Insteadof a continuous flange portion it is possible to utilise a plurality oftab portions or to use a flange portion whose height varies along itslength, such as a crenellated flange portion.

[0043] The flange portion may taper in section from its root towards itsupper free rim portion. Thus, for example, it may taper in section froma thickness of about 5 mm at its root to about 3 mm at its upper freerim. Typically the body is about 10 mm deep and the flange portionextends upwards for about 20 mm, making the overall height of thehorseshoe about 30 mm. It can be made in a variety of sizes. Forexample, it may measure about 125 mm from front to back and about 105 mmacross. However, larger sizes, e.g. for carthorses, or smaller sizes,e.g. for use in correction of foal's foot deformities, can be producedin accordance with the teachings of the invention.

[0044] In use of a horseshoe of the invention, the farrier typicallyfirst removes any hoof and tissue that may be damaged. Then the horse'shoof can be treated by rasping a number of horizontal key-in linesaround the bottom 2 to 3 cm or so of the outer wall. The wall of thehoof is then cleaned with acetone or, preferably, surgical spirit, priorto which the farrier should don protective gloves. Latex gloves aresuitable. A horseshoe of the appropriate size according to the inventionis then selected and the toe can, if necessary, be worked to create abevelled edge at the front of the shoe, sloping in an upwardly outwarddirection from the underside, to provide a larger ground bearing surfacearea and to facilitate clearance of the toe of the hoof over the ground,thereby reducing the risk of the horse jarring its infected foot. Thisprocess can alternatively be performed after the horseshoe has beenfitted.

[0045] The horseshoe is then placed into a non-reactive liquid, e.g.water, which has been raised to a temperature greater than the freezingpoint of the thermoplastic material and preferably above its softeningpoint or softening point range. Hence the temperature of the water orother liquid is preferably at least about 60° C. and preferably at leastabout 80° C. In practice it has been found that a bucket filled withboiling or near boiling water will retain sufficient heat to enablefitting of at least one horseshoe to be completed. The thermoplasticmaterial remains in the liquid until it becomes soft and pliable. Thisis characterised by the flange of the horseshoe turning transparent. Thehorseshoe is removed from the liquid before the entire mass turnstransparent so as to ensure that it retains its form. This usually takesless than 2 minutes, e.g. about 90 seconds, depending upon the size ofthe shoe, the temperature of the water and the material used.

[0046] Alternatively some other means of heating the thermoplasticmaterial can be used, such as a blow torch or hot air blower. However,the use of hot water has the advantage that it reduces the tackiness ofthe softened horseshoe and hence of it sticking to the farrier's glovesor other objects with which it may come in contact.

[0047] When the horseshoe has softened sufficiently to become manuallydeformable, the horseshoe is then fitted to the horse's foot by pressingthe softened shoe firmly onto the hoof thereby deforming the uppersurface of the horseshoe to fit the horse's foot and by pressing theflange portion against the outer surface of the hoof horn outer wall. Itis preferable to apply the softened horseshoe heel end first, using thefrog as a datum. Special care should be taken to ensure that the shoe ismoulded tightly round the hoof. The flange is arranged such that it isin continuous contact with the wall of the hoof around at least a partof its circumference. The flange may extend towards each heel of thehoof only a part of the overall distance from the toe to the heel of thehoof. In this case the heel is free to flex somewhat in use as the horsemoves. Alternatively the flange portion can extend substantially theentire distance from the toe of the hoof to its heel on each side of thehoof. In this case the flange portion can be bonded to the hoof, or whatremains of it, around the entire periphery of the hoof from one heel tothe other. Moreover it can in this latter case also continue across therear of the horseshoe so that it extends across the rear of the horse'sfoot.

[0048] Each horseshoe can thus be moulded so as to be custom made tomatch the unique features of each hoof. In addition, if the farrierwishes to build up the horseshoe at any point it is a simple matter tosoften some additional polycaprolactone material and then, aftercleaning the hoof if necessary, to press the additional material on thesoftened shoe in the appropriate place.

[0049] When the shoe has been satisfactorily shaped to the horse's hoofa rapid coolant can be applied which causes the thermoplastic tore-solidify. Suitable coolants are sold in aerosol dispensers for use inplumbing. A suitable coolant is available from Poynton Ltd, of 60 HighStreet, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9AT under the trade mark IMPRINT™.This product is described by its suppliers as a self-propelling mixtureof not more than 10% dimethyl ether and the balance1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethylene. Re-solidification of the horseshoe ischaracterised by the horseshoe becoming opaque again as it hardens.

[0050] The shoe can be cemented to the hoof by application of a suitablebonding agent between the flange of the horseshoe and the hoof. Suitablebonding agents include those sold under the trade marks Equithane™ andBond-N-Flex™. A particularly preferred bonding agent is that availableunder the trade mark IMPRINT™ from Poynton Ltd, of 60 High Street,Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9AT, which is described as a two-partmethacrylate adhesive whose components comprise not more than 55% byweight methyl methacrylate and not more than 8% by weight methacrylicacid. The bonding agent can be applied between the flange portion overits entire length. Hence, in one form of horseshoe, bonding agent can beapplied over the entire periphery of the hoof, from heel to heel, suchthat the bonding agent is lipping the top of the flange. In otherdesigns, however, the flange portion does not extend back as far as theheels so that it is adhered to the hoof, or what remains of it, onlyover a part of the entire periphery of the hoof. Application of thebonding agent can be achieved by prising the edge of the flange awayfrom the hoof wall and injecting the bonding agent into the cavity.

[0051] Alternatively and more usually a bonding agent can be applied tothe flange portion of the softened horseshoe and normally also to thehoof horn outer wall against which the flange portion is to abut beforethe horseshoe is applied to the horse's hoof.

[0052] It is an advantage of the IMPRINT™ bonding agent that it can beapplied to the softened horseshoe immediately after it has been takenout of hot water, even though it is still wet.

[0053] It will usually be advantageous to warm the bonding agentsomewhat prior to application so as to speed up curing thereof. Thehorizontal key-in lines rasped into the wall of the hoof improve thegrip of the bonding agent on the wall. Attaching the horseshoe to thehoof in this way prevents the damage caused by nailing the shoe inplace.

[0054] Any final adjustments can then be made to ensure a comfortablefit for the horse.

[0055] It is to be understood that the present invention is notrestricted to shoes for horses but includes shoes for any hoofed animal.Hence the teachings of the invention can be applied with equal successto shoes for such hoofed animals as donkeys, mules, zebras, and cows.

[0056] The thermoplastic composition may further comprise a minor amount(e.g. from about 1% by volume up to about 25% by volume) of a fillermaterial, such as a dye or a rubber in crumb, chunk, or granule form.

[0057] If desired, the underside of the shoe can be provided with one ormore rubber inserts therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect some preferred embodiments thereof will now bedescribed, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

[0059]FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a horseshoe according to the invention;

[0060]FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the horseshoe of FIG. 1;

[0061]FIG. 3 is a rear view of the horseshoe of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0062]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a larger horseshoe than that of FIGS. 1to 3 according to the invention;

[0063]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a smaller horseshoe than that of FIGS.1 to 3 according to the invention;

[0064]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a further modified form of horseshoeaccording to the invention;

[0065]FIG. 7 is a side view of the horseshoe of FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a rearview of the horseshoe of FIGS. 6 and 7;

[0066]FIG. 9 is a side view of a horse's hoof illustrating a first stepin shoeing a horse using the method of the present invention;

[0067]FIG. 10 is a solar view of the hoof of FIG. 9;

[0068]FIG. 11 is a further side view of the hoof of FIGS. 9 and 10showing a later stage in the method of the invention with a horseshoeaccording to the invention in place on the horse's hoof;

[0069]FIG. 12 is a solar view of the hoof of FIG. 11 with its attachedshoe;

[0070]FIG. 13 is a sagittal section through the hoof of FIGS. 9 and 10;

[0071]FIG. 14 is a similar sagittal section through the hoof of FIGS. 11and 12;

[0072]FIG. 15 illustrates diagrammatically sagittal sections through ahorse's hoof showing various possible types of indentation;

[0073]FIG. 16 is a side view of a horse's hoof showing diagrammaticallyvarious possible shapes of indentation;

[0074]FIG. 17 is a top plan view of a further form of horseshoeconstructed in accordance with the invention; and

[0075]FIG. 18 is a bottom plan view of the horseshoe of FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0076] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, a horseshoe 1 of theheartbar type is moulded in one piece from CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone,which is available from Solvay Interox Limited, Baronet Road,Warrington, Cheshire WA4 6HB, United Kingdom. It can be made from thepolycaprolactone by any suitable technique. As examples of mouldingtechniques there can be mentioned casting and injection moulding. It isalso possible to heat polycaprolactone granules in a vessel containingwater until the granules coalesce to form a gel, to mould the resultinggel with the fingers into a sausage-like shape, to place thesausage-like shape in a female part of a mould, and then to close themould with a male member and apply a weight to the male member to causethe material of the sausage-like shape to conform to the shape of themould cavity. The length of horseshoe 1 is about 125 mm and its breadthis about 105 mm.

[0077] The horseshoe 1 comprises a body 2 having a lowerground-contacting surface 3 and an upper foot-contacting surface 4spaced from the lower ground-contacting surface. Around at least a partof the upper foot-contacting surface 4 of the body 2 there is anupstanding peripheral flange portion 5 which is adapted in use to abutagainst at least a part of the outer wall of the foot of a horse (notshown). Horseshoe 1 is generally substantially part oval andapproximately conforms to the periphery of the hoof. The flange portion5 protects the lower part of the hoof and provides a means of attachingthe horseshoe 1 to the hoof other than by nailing.

[0078] As can be seen from FIG. 1, horseshoe 1 comprises an arcuate barportion 6 shaped to underlie the hoof. Moreover the two ends of the barportion 6 are joined one to another at the rear of the horseshoe 1 by acrosspiece 7. Crosspiece 7 further carries a frogpiece 8 intended tounderlie the frog of the horse's foot. The rear ends of flange portion 5are joined by an upstanding rear flange portion 9 which is formed on theupper side of the crosspiece 7 and which is intended to abut against theheels of the hoof. Rear flange portion 9 is lower than flange portion 5.A chamfered portion 10 is formed on its underside at its front end so asto underlie the toe of the horse's hoof, in use. The flange portion 5extends, in use, from a heel of one side wall of the hoof around the toeof the hoof to a heel of the other side wall.

[0079] Body 2 is approximately 10 mm thick and the height of the flangeportion 5 above upper surface 4 is approximately 20 mm, making theoverall height of the horseshoe approximately 30 mm. Flange portion 5tapers in section from its root, where its thickness is about 5 mm, toapproximately 3 mm at its upper rim. It is, however, to be understoodthat these are only approximate dimensions and the invention allows forsubstantial variations to fit a wide range of horses' hooves.

[0080] As already mentioned, the toe of the shoe is provided with abevelled portion 10 which slopes upwardly from the undersurface 3.

[0081] In use of the horseshoe of FIGS. 1 to 3 for treatment of a horsesuffering from laminitis or some other condition adversely affecting thehorse's foot, the farrier prepares the horse's hoof prior to fitting, inso doing trimming away any hoof material, and possibly also othertissue, that has been affected by the hoof condition. The edge of theground bearing surface, i.e. the undersurface, of the hoof is bevelledand a number of horizontal key-in lines are rasped into the bottom 2 cmto 3 cm or so of the hoof. The horizontal lines are used to increase thepurchase of the bonding agent which is subsequently used to secure thehorseshoe 1 on the hoof, which is otherwise relatively smooth. The toeof the shoe 1 is then, if necessary, further bevelled as required andthe hoof is cleaned with acetone or surgical spirit. For the purposes ofheating the horseshoe 1 the preferred method is to submerge the shoe inboiling, or close to boiling, water until the thermoplastic materialbecomes sufficiently pliable for application to the hoof, which isindicated by the flange portion 5 turning from opaque to transparent.This typically takes between about 30 seconds and about 2 minutes forhorseshoes made out of CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone, depending upon thesize of the shoe 1 and the temperature of the water. However, thehorseshoe 1 should not be left in the hot water until it becomes whollyclear in appearance since it will then lose its form entirely.

[0082] When the horseshoe 1 is ready to be fitted, it is removed fromthe water and applied to the hoof. The preferred method of applicationof the horseshoe 1 to the hoof is to fit the heel first, using the frogas a datum, and forming the softened horseshoe 1 into the contours ofthe hoof. Particular attention should be paid to shaping the flangeportion 5 around the hoof to ensure that it is in contact with the hoofaround its full periphery. Attention should also be given to the shapingof the rear flange portion 9 to ensure that it conforms to the shape ofthe heel. This produces a custom horseshoe for the particular hoof towhich it is fitted. The horseshoe 1 is then rapidly cooled to set thethermoplastic material again. This can be achieved by using an aerosolcoolant which is sprayed onto the horseshoe 1. To avoid startling thehorse by the noise made by the coolant escaping from the aerosol can thefarrier can talk, whistle or croon to the horse. Alternatively a pad offoamed plastics material can be placed around the hoof and the coolantsprayed directly into the foam which deadens the sound made by theescaping coolant. The horseshoe 1 turns opaque again when hard.

[0083] A bonding agent can then be applied to cement the horseshoe 1 tothe hoof. Preferred bonding agents include those sold under the trademarks Equithane™ and Bond-N-Flex™ or IMPRINT™. Preferably the bondingagent is preheated in hot water before being injected between the flangeportion 5 and the hoof. A pointed instrument can be used as necessary toprise a gap between the flange portion 5 and hoof so as to allow thebonding agent to flow between them. The bonding agent is injected aroundthe entire periphery of the hoof. Sufficient of the bonding agent isused such that it fills the cavity between flange portion 5 and the hoofto the top of flange portion 5. The bonding agent usually sets within 10minutes. After the bonding agent has set, final adjustments can be madeto the horseshoe 1 to ensure a comfortable fit for the horse.

[0084] If desired, tungsten studs or other non-slip grip-enhancingdevices can be inserted in the horseshoe. This can be done by heating asharp tool in hot water and pushing its point carefully into theunderside of the horseshoe 1 after it has been fitted to the horse andthen inserting a tungsten stud into the resulting blind hole whilst itswalls are still soft and spraying on a coolant to re-freeze thepolycaprolactone material.

[0085] Another way to impart non-slip properties to the horseshoe of theinvention is to incorporate at least one rubber insert in the undersurface of the horseshoe. Such an insert may take the form of a rubberstrip, a rubber chunk, or rubber crumbs or granules. More than onerubber insert can be provided, particularly if rubber chunks, crumbs orgranules are used. The at least one rubber insert is positioned in thehorseshoe so as to form part of the ground-contacting surface of thehorseshoe. If a strip of vulcanised rubber is used, then its dimensionsare preferably chosen such that its length is less than the arcuatedistance measured around the horseshoe from one heel thereof to theother, and is preferably no more than about 80% of this arcuatedistance, such that its width is less than the width of the arcuateportion of the horseshoe, and is preferably no more than about 60% ofsuch width, and such that its thickness is not more than about 60% ofthe overall thickness of that part of the horseshoe that is adapted inuse to underlie the hoof of the horse. Moreover it is preferred that thestrip is trapezoidal in section with the longer of the two parallelsides of the trapezium being disposed uppermost in the horseshoe. Thedifference in length between the two parallel sides of the trapeziumneed be no more than about 2 mm, and is preferably no more than about 1mm to about 1.5 mm. A suitable strip is about 8 mm wide on its undersideand about 6 mm thick and of appropriate length to suit the size of thehorseshoe. If such a rubber strip is placed in the mould prior tocasting of the polycaprolactone material or other thermoplasticmaterial, then it becomes permanently embedded in the horseshoe and isretained therein by reason of its shape. Preferably the rubber strip isshaped so as to be arcuate in plan, although it can be a straight stripappropriately bent to shape. To facilitate correct placement of therubber strip, an arcuate groove can be formed in the bottom of themould. The use of such a groove in the bottom of the mould will furtherensure that the underside of the rubber strip projects below thepolycaprolactone mass from which the major part of the horseshoe isformed. Suitably the rubber strip projects about 2 mm below theunderside of the horseshoe. As suitable rubbers there can be mentionedany non-slip abrasion resistant rubber material, for example any ofthose natural or synthetic rubbers which are conventionally used for themanufacture of motor vehicle tyres or of rubber soles or heels for men'sor ladies' shoes. Besides imparting non-slip properties to the horseshoethe rubber insert may perform other functions, for example as a surfaceupon which to display a trade mark. For this purpose the rubber insertmay have, for example, a triangular shape which is positioned tounderlie a frog part of the horseshoe and to display a trade mark suchas IMPRINT™. In order to ensure retention of a triangular or other shapeof insert in the finished horseshoe, it is preferred that the dimensionsof the upper side of the insert are at least slightly larger than thoseof the underside thereof, for example about 1 mm to about 2 mm larger.When chunks, crumbs or granules of rubber are used these can bescattered on the bottom of the mould before casting of thepolycaprolactone material or other thermoplastic material takes place.The chunks, crumbs or granules of rubber in this case should have amaximum dimension of no more than about 5 mm, and preferably no morethan about 2 mm or 3 mm. After casting of the polycaprolactone material,the rubber chunks, crumbs or granules form at least a part of the undersurface of the horseshoe and, provided that sufficient rubber chunks,crumbs or granules have been used, impart non-slip properties theretoafter casting of the polycaprolactone material or other thermoplasticmaterial has occurred.

[0086] The farrier may decide during the preliminary work on the horse'shoof and before the bonding agent is applied that the fit of thehorseshoe needs to be improved, for example to provide support wherehoof and/or tissue has ben removed. In this case he can clean thehorseshoe and then can build up the upper surface of the shoe bysoftening some additional polycaprolactone, possibly having alsoreheated the horseshoe, and moulding the additional polycaprolactone inplace to provide the correct support for the horse's foot. This can beachieved very quickly.

[0087] In a modification of the horseshoe of FIGS. 1 to 3, the flangeportion 5 is arranged to extend part of the way only, for example fromabout one half to two thirds of the way only, from the toe to the heelalong each side of the horseshoe. Upon bonding such a horseshoe to ahorse's hoof, the result is that the heels of the hoof can still flexwith respect to the rest of the horse's foot.

[0088] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the useof a horseshoe in accordance with the invention radically alters thetraditional methods of farriery in that the farrier can use a bucket ofhot water to soften a plastics material to shape the horseshoe in theway that the treatment of the horse requires instead of having to usethe traditional forge and anvil or having to trim or assemble a plasticshorseshoe from a kit of parts. Such a new method of shoeing a horse canbe carried out easily and quickly wherever the horse happens to bestabled without having to transport the horse to the farrier's smithy.Moreover shoeing can be effected with minimum trauma being caused to thehorse.

[0089] In place of CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone it is alternativelypossible to utilise a mixture of CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone with one orboth of CAPA® 680 caprolactone and CAPA® 640 polycaprolactone. Suchmixtures include, for example, an 80:20 or an 83:17 mixture by weight ofCAPA® 650 and CAPA® 680 polycaprolactones. In some cases it may also bebeneficial to admix a small quantity, for example up to about 10% byweight of CAPA® 640 polycaprolactone with CAPA® 650 polycaprolactone orwith a CAPA® 650/CAPA® 680 polycaprolactone mixture.

[0090]FIGS. 4 and 5 show respectively a larger horseshoe 11 and asmaller horseshoe 12 which are generally similar to the horseshoe 1 ofFIGS. 1 to 3.

[0091] FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate a modified form of horseshoe 21 which isgenerally similar to that of FIGS. 1 to 3 but in which the flangeportion 25 extends from the front of the horseshoe 21, which willunderlie the toe of the horse's hoof, in use, backwards along each sideonly a part of the overall distance towards the part of the horseshoewhich will underlie the respective heel of the horse's hoof in use. Inaddition there is no flange on horseshoe 21 corresponding to the rearflange portion 9 of the horseshoe 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3 so that thehorseshoe 21 is open at the back. When horseshoe 21 is fitted to ahorse's foot, using the same general technique as described above, theflange portion 25 enables it to be firmly attached to the toe and frontpart of the hoof but the design of the horseshoe 21 allows the heels toflex and to move relative to the horseshoe 21.

[0092] Although the invention has been illustrated with reference tohorseshoes with a crosspiece and a frogpiece, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that many alternative designs of horseshoeincorporating the teachings of the invention can be made. Examplesinclude horseshoes of the so-called egg, egg-heartbar, square toedheartbar, and straightbar types. The invention is also applicable to theproduction of foal correction boots, as well as to horseshoes withsoles, with graduation, or with medial, lateral, anterior or posteriorextensions.

[0093] FIGS. 9 to 16 illustrate a preferred method in accordance withthe invention of shoeing a hoofed animal, such as a horse.

[0094]FIG. 9 is a side view of a horse's hoof 100 having a number ofindentations 101 that have been made by a farrier in the outer hornywall of the hoof 100 in readiness for attachment of a horseshoe inaccordance with the invention. Indentations 101 can be formed by anyconvenient method, for example using a router tool, a knife, such as aloop knife, or a farrier's instrument for removing horn from a horse'shoof. Preferably, however, a router tool is used to make indentations101. These indentations are made in a lower portion of the hoof whichextends from a ground border 102 of the hoof 100 upwards a distance offrom about 1 cm to about 2 cm. The shape and size of indentations 101are discussed further below. Typically the farrier should make from fiveto ten indentations 101 substantially regularly spaced apart from eachother in the lower portion of the hoof horn outer surface, usually fromsix to eight indentations 101 being an adequate number.

[0095] After or before forming indentations 101 in hoof 100 the farrieralso preferably bevels the lower edge of the horny outer wall,conveniently by use of a rasp or file, so as to provide a bevelled edge103 around the front part of the ground border 102 of hoof 100. Alsovisible in FIG. 10 are the sole 104, the frog 105 and the heels 106 ofhoof 100.

[0096]FIG. 11 illustrates the hoof 100 after the next stage of theprocess of the invention, namely fitting of a horseshoe 21 (see FIGS. 6to 8). During this step and the succeeding steps the farrier is advisedto wear latex gloves.

[0097] Before fitting of the horseshoe 21 to the hoof 100, the farriershould first clean the outer wall of the hoof 100 with a solvent forgrease, such as surgical spirit or acetone. As described above, thehorseshoe 21 is first softened by immersion in hot water in thetemperature range of from about 65° C. to about 100° C., preferably nearboiling, i.e. at least about 90° C., until its flange portion 25 becomestransparent. (The horseshoe 21 should not be left in the hot water untilit becomes completely transparent or it will lose all of its form). Thehorseshoe 21 should then be removed carefully from the water and anyexcess water allowed to drain off. A bead of IMPRINT™ bonding agent canthen be applied to the inside of the flange portion 25, even though itis still wet; a further bead of IMPRINT™ bonding agent is preferablyalso applied around a corresponding portion of the outer surface of thehoof horn outer wall. While its flange portion 25 is still pliable thehorseshoe 21 is then applied to the underside of the hoof 100. In sodoing the farrier should fit the horseshoe 21 first at the heels 106 endof the hoof 100, using the frog 105 as a datum, and then press the shoe21 onto the hoof 100 so as to help conform the upper face of horseshoe21 to the shape of the underside of hoof 100. While the flange portion25 remains manually mouldable, the farrier should then mould this to theouter surface of the hoof horn outer wall. In this moulding operationthe farrier should apply pressure with his fingers to the outer surfaceof the flange portion 25 in the region of each of the indentations 101so as to press material of the flange portion 25 into each of theindentations 101. During this moulding operation care should be takennot to cause over-thinning of any significant part of the flange portion25.

[0098]FIG. 12 shows the underside of hoof 100 with the horseshoe 21applied thereto. Reference numeral 104 indicates the sole of the hoof100.

[0099] In FIG. 13 there is shown a sagittal section through hoof 100after formation of an indentation 101 and before application of ahorseshoe 21. As can be seen from FIG. 13 indentation 101 has abulb-like section. Conveniently it is formed using a router tool in thehoof horn outer wall 107. Its depth is preferably from about 1 mm up toabout 80% of the thickness of the hoof horn outer wall 107, while itsmaximum transverse dimension at the surface of the hoof horn outer wall107 is typically from about 2 mm up to about 10 mm.

[0100]FIG. 14 is a similar sagittal view of hoof 100 after moulding ofthe flange portion 25 to the hoof horn outer wall 107 and shows how someof the material of the flange portion 25 has been pressed into the-indentation 101, as indicated by reference numeral 108.

[0101] In FIGS. 13 and 14 there are also shown the laminae 109, the bone110, the corium 111, and the white line 112.

[0102] Once the farrier is satisfied with the moulding operation andwith the resulting shoe balance, re-hardening of the material of thehorseshoe 21 can be accelerated by use of a refrigerant spray directedon the horseshoe 21 from an aerosol spray can. Upon such re-hardeningthe horseshoe 21 again becomes opaque and the hoof 100 can be placed onthe ground again. There is now union between the hoof 100 and horseshoe21, with the latter being attached firmly to the hoof 100 withoutmovement.

[0103] In order to further improve this union, a bonding agent, such asa two part adhesive, for example, a urethane polymer adhesive, can beapplied from a twin cartridge pack fitted with a mixer nozzle for thetwo components. Preferably the pack is preheated by immersion in hotwater so as to accelerate subsequent cure thereof. As already mentioned,the bonding agent can be applied to the flange portion 25 while it isstill softened. Alternatively, but less preferably, the bonding agentcan be applied along the length of the upper edge of the flange portion25 and lipping the join between the flange portion 25 and the hoof hornouter wall. A pointed instrument can be used during this operation inorder to ply the upper edge of flange portion 25 away from the hoof hornouter wall. Once the farrier is satisfied that the bonding agent hasbeen uniformly applied all along the upper edge of flange portion 25, aspatula can be used to smooth the surface of the resulting joint. Thehorse should then be encouraged to stand as still as possible until thebonding agent has hardened, normally about 10 to about 15 minutes.Complete hardening of the bonding agent will typically takeapproximately an hour.

[0104] If during the course of the fitting of the horseshoe 21 to hoof100 the farrier should want to remould the already hardened flangeportion 25, this can readily be achieved by directing hot air from a hotair gun against the appropriate part of the outer surface of flangeportion 25. During such a procedure the hot air gun should be pointingdownward and away from the limb. To avoid misdirecting the hot air ontoany part of the horse's leg other than the hoof, it is advisable for thefarrier to place his hand around the coronary border 113 of hoof 100.Having re-softened the flange portion 25 in this way, the farrier cansoften first the flange portion 25 along one side of hoof 100 and peelit away from the hoof horn outer wall, before treating the flangeportion 25 along the other side of the hoof in a similar way. The flangeportion 25 can then be re-moulded to the hoof 100.

[0105] The indentations 101 in FIGS. 9 and 11 are substantiallyelliptical in plan and are, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, bulb-shaped insection. FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate alternative shapes for indentations,in plan and in section respectively. It should, however, be noted thatonly the lowermost indentation in FIG. 15 lies on the lower portion ofthe hoof horn outer surface. The other forms of indentation are shown athigh locations than would be used in actual practice, solely forconvenience and to avoid proliferation of Figures. Hence any of theforms of indentation illustrated would, in practice, be positioned at aheight above the ground border 102 similar to that indicated forindentations 101 in FIGS. 9 and 11. Indentation 114 has a rectangularsection, indentation 115 has a square one, indentation 116 has a Vsection, indentation 117 has a triangulation section, indentation 118 aU-shaped section, indentation 119 a bulb section (like the section ofindentation 101 of FIG. 13) section, and indentation 120 has asemi-circular section.

[0106] In FIG. 16 indentation 121 has an elliptical or ovalconfiguration in plan, indentation 122 has a round one, indentation 123has a rectangular configuration, indentation 124 has a square one, andindentation 125 has a triangular configuration in plan.

[0107] It will be appreciated by those skilled in farriery that themethod described in relation to FIGS. 9 to 16 is an improvement uponshoeing a horse with a tender or diseased hoof with a conventional metalshoe since it involves no nailing and requires the use of lowtemperatures only. Thus the farrier does not need to apply a hot shoe toa tender hoof with a resulting lack of trauma for the horse. Since theshoe is applied to the hoof in softened form, it can be moulded in situto a certain extent to fit the particular hoof to which it is beingapplied, thereby ensuring a more comfortable fit for the horse. Moreoverbecause no hammering is required there is a greatly reduced risk ofcausing pain to a lame horse. The procedure for heating and fitting ashoe in accordance with the invention is quick and so the time for whichthe animal has to stand on three legs only is reduced. This can be avery relevant consideration when the horse is lame.

[0108] It will be appreciated by skilled farriers that the horseshoes ofthe invention have advantages over conventional metal horseshoes evenfor shoeing horses that have healthy hooves and that are not lame. Thustheir lightness compared to metal horseshoes can be advantageous whenshoeing racehorses.

[0109]FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate a further form of horseshoe 201 whichis generally similar to shoe 21 of FIGS. 6 to 8 except that a cut outportion 202 is formed in the frogpiece 203. This cut out portion impartsa certain degree of flexibility to horseshoe 201 and allows limitedrelative vertical movement of the heels 204 and 205. Reference numeral206 indicates the flange portion around the toe of the horseshoe 201,which is similar to flange 25 of horseshoe 21 of FIGS. 6 to 8, whilereference numeral 207 indicates a chamfered portion at the toe end ofthe horseshoe 201.

[0110] If desired, a minor chamfered surface can also be provided on theupper face of horseshoe 201 adjacent the inner arcuate edge 208. Thischamfered surface can make an angle of about 15° with the remainder ofthe upper surface of the horseshoe 201 within the flange portion 206. Asimilar minor chamfered surface can be provided, if desired, on any ofthe other illustrated embodiments of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shoe for a horse comprising a body made from athermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of a thermoplasticmaterial which has a softening point of less than 100° C., the bodyhaving a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, in use, with theground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced from the lowerground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, an underside of a footof a horse, the body having around at least a part of its upperfoot-contacting surface an upstanding peripheral flange portion adaptedin use to abut against a lower part of a hoof horn wall of the foot of ahorse, whereby, upon immersing the shoe in hot water for a period oftime sufficient to soften the shoe, the flange portion can thereafter bemanually moulded to the outer surface of the hoof horn wall and causedto interlock with previously formed indentations in the hoof horn wall.2. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the upstanding peripheral flangeportion tapers in section from a root of the flange portion towards anupper free rim portion of the flange portion.
 3. A shoe according toclaim 2, wherein the thermoplastic material has a freezing point of atleast about 30° C. and a melting point or melting point range of lessthan about 95° C.
 4. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein thethermoplastic material is a polycaprolactone having a freezing point ofabout 35° C., and a melting point range of from about 58° C. to about60° C.
 5. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplasticmaterial is a polyester of ε-caprolactone and butane-1,4-diol.
 6. A shoeaccording to claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic material has a freezingpoint of about 35° C., and a melting point range of from about 58° C. toabout 60° C.
 7. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the upstandingperipheral flange portion is from about 10 mm to about 20 mm high.
 8. Ashoe according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises an arcuate barportion shaped to underlie the hoof and wherein the bar portion has twoends joined one to another at a rear end of the shoe by a crosspiece. 9.A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the shoe includes a frogpieceintended to underlie a frog of a horse's foot.
 10. A shoe according toclaim 9, wherein the frogpiece is provided with a cutout portion thatextends from a rearward end of the frogpiece part way towards a frontend of the frogpiece.
 11. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein theflange portion includes an upstanding rear flange portion adapted toabut against heels of the hoof.
 12. A shoe according to claim 1, whereina chamfered portion is formed on an underside of the shoe at its frontend so as to underlie a toe of the horse's hoof, in use.
 13. A shoeaccording to claim 1, wherein the hoof has a toe and has a heel on eachof a pair of opposite side walls and wherein the flange portion isadapted so as to extend, in use, from a heel of one side wall around thetoe of the hoof to the heel of the opposite side wall of the hoof.
 14. Ashoe according to claim 1, wherein the hoof has a toe and has a heel oneach of a pair of opposite side walls and wherein the flange portion isadapted to extend, in use, from the toe of the hoof back towards each ofthe heels of the hoof a distance which is less than the overall distancebetween the toe and the respective one of the heels.
 15. A shoeaccording to claim 1, wherein the flange portion tapers in section froma thickness of about 5 mm at its root to about 3 mm at its upper freerim.
 16. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the body is about 10 mmdeep and the flange portion extends upwards from the body for about 10mm, so as to give an overall height to the shoe of about 20 mm.
 17. Ashoe according to claim 1, wherein the shoe is provided on its lowersurface with a plurality of tungsten studs or other non-slipgrip-enhancing devices.
 18. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein thethermoplastic composition further comprises a filler material.
 19. Ashoe according to claim 18, wherein the filler material comprises arubber in crumb form.
 20. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the lowersurface of the body is provided with at least one rubber insert.
 21. Ashoe for fitting to a hoof of a horse comprising a body made from athermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of a thermoplasticmaterial which has a softening point of less than 100° C., the bodyhaving a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, in use, with theground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced from the lowerground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, an underside of a footof a horse, the body having around at least a part of its upperfoot-contacting surface an upstanding peripheral flange portion adaptedin use to abut against at least a part of an outer surface of a hornywall of the hoof of a horse and a chamfered portion on an underside ofthe shoe at its front end so as to underlie a toe of the hoof, in use,and to provide a bevelled edge sloping in an upwardly outward directionfrom the underside, whereby clearance of the toe of the hoof over theground is facilitated and whereby, upon immersing the shoe in hot waterfor a period of time sufficient to soften the shoe, the flange portioncan thereafter be manually moulded to the outer surface of the hoof hornwall and caused to interlock with previously formed indentations in thehoof horn wall.
 22. A shoe for a hoofed animal comprising a body madefrom a thermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of athermoplastic material which has a softening point of less than 100° C.and further comprises a rubber in crumb form as a filler material, thebody having a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, in use, withthe ground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced from the lowerground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, an underside of a footof a hoofed animal, the body having around at least a part of its upperfoot-contacting surface an upstanding peripheral flange portion adaptedin use to abut against at least a part of an outer wall of the foot of ahoofed animal.
 23. A shoe for a horse comprising a body made from athermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of a thermoplasticmaterial which has a softening point of less than 100° C., the bodyhaving a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, in use, with theground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced from the lowerground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, an underside of a footof a horse, the body having around at least a part of its upperfoot-contacting surface an upstanding peripheral flange portion which isadapted in use to abut against at least a part of an outer wall of thefoot of a horse and which tapers in section from a root of the flangeportion towards an upper free rim portion of the flange portion.
 24. Ashoe for a horse comprising a body made from a thermoplastic compositionwhich comprises a matrix of a thermoplastic material which has asoftening point of less than 100° C., the body having a lowerground-contacting surface for contact, in use, with the ground and anupper foot-contacting surface spaced from the lower ground-contactingsurface for contacting, in use, an underside of a foot of a horse, thebody having around at least a part of its upper foot-contacting surfacean upstanding peripheral flange portion which is from about 10 mm toabout 20 mm high and is adapted in use to abut against at least a partof a hoof horn wall of the foot of a horse, whereby, upon immersing theshoe in hot water for a period of time sufficient to soften the shoe,the flange portion can thereafter be manually moulded to the outersurface of the hoof horn wall.
 25. A shoe for a horse comprising a bodymade from a thermoplastic composition which comprises a matrix of athermoplastic material which has a softening point of less than 100° C.,the body having a lower ground-contacting surface for contact, in use,with the ground and an upper foot-contacting surface spaced from thelower ground-contacting surface for contacting, in use, an underside ofa foot of a horse, the body having around at least a part of its upperfoot-contacting surface an upstanding peripheral flange portion adaptedin use to abut against a lower part only of an outer wall of the foot ofa horse.